Farxiga vs Jardiance: What's the difference?

Selecting the right medication for type 2 diabetes can be challenging, given the multitude of choices available. Among these options, sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors are often on the table for consideration. However, the question remains: Which SGLT2 inhibitor is the best fit for you?

How Do SGLT2 Inhibitors Work?

SGLT2 inhibitors are rising in popularity for use in both type 2 diabetes and congestive heart failure.

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus: SGLT2 inbihitors decrease the sugar levels in your body by increasing the amount of sugar you excrete in urine. They do this by stopping you from reabsorbing sugars that flow through your kidneys, letting these sugars exit in the urine instead. This results in a decrease in blood sugar readings as well as longer-term values such as A1C.
• Heart failure: It’ not fully understood how SGLT2 inhibitors reduce hospitalizations and deaths in heart failure. It's probably because they help decrease sodium and fluid in your body. These medications make your body flush out sugar in your urine, and that process also takes away sodium and extra fluid.

Farxiga vs Jardiance

Farxiga and Jardiance rank among the top SGLT2 inhibitors available. Given their many similarities, deciding between the two can be a challenge. So, what sets them apart? The key distinction lies in their active ingredients. Farxiga contains "dapagliflozin," while Jardiance contains "empagliflozin."

Despite this difference in active ingredients, Farxiga and Jardiance share remarkable similarities in their SGLT2 inhibitor class. Both medications hold three FDA-approved indications:

• Treating type 2 diabetes mellitus, alongside diet and exercise improvements.
• Reducing the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure in adults with type 2 diabetes and a history of heart disease or related risk factors.
• Reducing the risk of heart-related hospitalization and death in adults with systolic heart failure, where the left ventricle can't efficiently pump blood.

Common Side Effects

Most of the side effects from both Farxiga and Jardiance occur as a result of the way the medications work. Since they excrete so much sugar through urination, the genital region becomes an ideal environment for bacteria and yeast to grow, increasing the risk of infection.

• Genital fungal (yeast) infections (Greater risk in women than men)
• Urinary tract infections
• Increased urination (Frequence and/or volume)

Medication Warnings

There are several warnings associated with the use of SGLT2 inhibitors, encompassing rare but potential risks. While Farxiga and Jardiance share many common warnings, they do exhibit slight variations.

Warnings that apply to both Farxiga and Jardiance include:

• Ketoacidosis: This rare condition can be linked to the use of these medications. Ketoacidosis occurs when your blood becomes excessively acidic due to an accumulation of "ketones." This happens when your body cannot utilize sugars for energy, resorting to breaking down fat into ketones. This acidifies the blood, posing a danger if not promptly treated.
• Low Blood Pressure: Both medications can occasionally lead to a reduction in the body's fluid volume, potentially causing low blood pressure. This risk is particularly pertinent to individuals with compromised kidney function, elderly individuals, and those taking loop diuretics.
• Low Blood Sugar: The risk of low blood sugar increases in individuals taking these medications, especially when used concurrently with other insulin-enhancing drugs, such as direct insulin and sulfonylureas.

Farxiga, however, comes with an additional warning not found in Jardiance's information:

• Necrotizing Fasciitis: Very rarely, the use of Farxiga has been associated with necrotizing fasciitis, a severe skin infection in the genital area. This infection often necessitates hospitalization, surgical intervention, and can even lead to death. Any signs of redness, tenderness, or swelling in the genital region should prompt immediate evaluation by a healthcare provider to assess the possibility of necrotizing fasciitis.

Regardless of these warnings, it is essential to consult a healthcare provider before starting either SGLT2 inhibitor, as individual risk factors may vary.

Combination Products

Farxiga (dapagliflozin) and Jardiance (empagliflozin) are available in combination products, which combine multiple medications in a single pill. This option offers convenience by reducing the need to take multiple pills, simplifying medication management.

• Farxiga Combination Pill
  • Xigduo XR (dapagliflozin/metformin ER)
• Jardiance Combination Pills
  • Glyxambi (empagliflozin/linagliptin)
  • Synjardy (empagliflozin/metformin)
  • Synjardy XR (empagliflozin/metformin ER)

Xigduo XR, Synjardy, and Synjardy XR combine an SGLT2 inhibitor with metformin. Metformin is a standard first-line medication for type 2 diabetes. Since SGLT2 inhibitors are frequently used as add-ons, it makes sense for them to be available in combination pills.

Another combination product, Glyxambi, pairs an SGLT2 inhibitor (empagliflozin) with linagliptin, a DPP-4 inhibitor. These are both commonly used diabetes medications, often prescribed to individuals who cannot take metformin or require additional treatments alongside metformin.

Price Comparison

Farxiga and Jardiance have similar retail prices, approximately $650 per month. These costs remain elevated because both drugs are only available in their branded forms; generic versions, which offer more affordable alternatives, have yet to enter the market.

Brenzavvy—Affordable SGLT2 Inhibitor—$59.95 for 30 tablets

As for when we can expect generic Farxiga or Jardiance, this hinges on various factors, but it's unlikely to happen anytime soon. Both medications likely enjoy several more years of market exclusivity, so high costs are expected to persist in the near future.

Compare Farxiga and Jardiance